The Snake and The Lion
by oxfordllama
Summary: Three years after the war, Hermione's life is dull and as normal as ever. That is until she receives a letter from Hogwarts, asking her to teach. Little does she know, Draco Malfoy has received the same offer. Soon enough, Hermione's life becomes hectic while she juggles dealing with numerous conflicts. Rated M for language and offensive themes. Cover by wandlesstribute (tumblr)
1. Prologue

**The Snake and The Lion**

Prologue

The war had been over for 3 years and Hermione was bored to death. Nothing interesting had happened after the final battle, not that peace and prosperity among wizards alike was bad or anything.

Life for Hermione in the past three years had gone no direction but up, everything was great and very seldom did something break her good mood. She lived in a flat in a muggle neighbourhood with Ron, a new cat (Crooks had passed the year before this), and owned a small- but busy, bookstore.

The golden trio and friends had somewhat grown apart, aside from Hermione and Ron. Harry and Ginny moved to the countryside, where they were now raising their first child, James Sirius, whom Hermione was the godmother to (Ron was given the title of godfather). Harry and Ron barely spoke anymore, and the occasional owl was sent between Ginny and Hermione, but that was only when one of them had a bad day.

The rest of the final battle hero and heroines had also moved on. Neville and Luna moved to Canada, most of the Weasley family had scattered themselves across the globe in various, random places, and several others became teachers at Hogwarts or another school devoted to magic.

In other words, life for the average wizard was beginning to become dull. Although, several of the kids who had participated in the war at Hogwarts had suffered physical and mental wounds that seemed to keep their lives a bit busy (in a bad way) with media attention. Gossip fluttered like little birds, whispering harsh rumors into Hermione's ear every so often. Word was passed that Harry had night terrors and nothing could stop them, people chattered on about how Luna was barely grasping onto her sanity, and older women giggled about the word of Angelina having issues with George talking to himself in the mirror, as if he was speaking to Fred.

Life for Hermione was starting to get dull, until she found that her long enemy, Draco Malfoy, had suddenly started appearing in public. She started to regularly read the Daily Prophet's gossip section, which was where he frequently appeared. It was always normal things that he did, though. Occasional walks, a stop into a café, and even a visit or two to the newly rebuilt ministry.

Hermione pretended not to notice the sightings at first, but she couldn't keep herself away from the stories. There were always bad photos of him walking out of shops or giving nods to people. This was not interesting, but what was interesting was Draco himself. Hermione had stared at the pictures for long amounts of time, although she knew she shouldn't, with Ron being around and such.

Draco had grown. Hermione could see the impact the war had left on him. His jaw was always set, his eyebrows creased together, his forehead lined with the permanent marks left from him constantly raising and lowering his eyebrows in thought.

She also noticed the more physical side of him had changed, his posture was almost perfect, but was flawed by the slightest slump in his shoulders. He walked with his hands in his coats' pocket, wearing one whether it be warm or cold out. He started to care more about his appearance, (or at least Hermione assumed so) for he had started wearing a bit more… casual clothing. He had always overdressed all the time in the past, now he had reduced himself to a pair of trousers, a shirt and a coat; which fit him nicely.

Not that Hermione cared about any of this at all. This was all but another book on a shelf, and it didn't affect her in any way.

Little did Hermione know, this book would drop from the shelf, hit her on the head, and open her life to a new chapter.


	2. Chapter 1 Part 1

The Snake and The Lion 

**Chapter 1**

Part 1 - Hermione

"Ronald Weasley I swear if I have to yell any louder, I will wake up the whole neighborhood." Hermione yelled, anger filling her for Ron still was in bed, despite it being half past 8.

"Go ahead, scream out your lungs." He mumbled, rolling over. Hermione was so overcome with rage that it was almost pouring from her ears. She grabbed the blankets from the end of the bed, and pulled them off of Ron. He yelled out a profanity and pulled his legs up, Hermione scoffed at how pathetic he looked.

"Now get dressed, you're going to be late for work. You know, the ministry is on the brink of firing you." Hermione informed him for the third time as she grabbed one of Ron's suits out of his closet.

"They won't fire me, I'm Ron Weasley for Merlin's sake. I bet they're getting more business since I've been working there." He gloated, taking the hanger out of Hermione's hands.

"Business is the last thing the Ministry wants, Ron. Now get over yourself and get dressed, you're still late on your half of last months rent, if I may remind you." Hermione glared at him, and he rolled his eyes as he shrugged on his coat.

"Yeah yeah, I'll get right on that." he grabbed his wand off the night stand, putting it in the loop Hermione had sewn into his coat so he'd stop losing his wands.

"Yeah and why don't you get on with leaving, I put the floo powder in the red box over the fireplace." she yelled to him as he left the room.

Hermione waited patiently for the familiar _whoosh _of Ron leaving their flat. She sighed in relief, happy to finally have some alone time. Sometimes living with Ron was like living with a toddler, for he didn't know how to take care of himself and was completely dependant of Hermione to take care of his needs.

She sighed, shaking her head at the thought of him being so needy. But, now was no time to think about Ron and his adolescent behaviour, she had a very busy day planned for herself.

She started by apparating into Diagon Alley, where she bought the newspaper, which she quickly stuffed into her purse. Even though seeing Hermione buy the Daily Prophet wasn't a peculiar sight, the idea of someone finding out her recent obsession made her antsy when it came to getting the paper.

Several people stopped her as she hurried down the sidewalk, all of them dragging her into brief, boring conversations. Most were parents of young wizards and witches that idolized her, the rest were Hogwarts students or distant friends. After excusing herself from several conversations, she finally found herself at the door of her bookstore.

She quickly unlocked it, and fled inside. She closed the door behind her, deciding against opening the shades. Hermione quickly made her way to the back room, where she found her little sitting corner in the storage area. She turned on the reading lamp that was in the corner, and sat down in the chair. It no time, she had taken the newspaper from her purse and opened to the exact page she was looking for.

There he was, staring straight at the camera, Draco Malfoy. His hair was unruly, he looked as if he had just woken up. Judging by the fact that he was outside of a café, he probably had. He was frowning, not that him frowning was any different from usual, but he seemed angry, maybe even upset that the photographer was taking a photo of him. He turned his head, opened the shop door, and moved out of sight. The photo re-played itself, continuously showing Draco staring her in the face with such a displeased look on his face. Hermione sighed, setting the paper down on the coffee table next to her.

_What am I doing? _she thought to herself, _Godric's sake, he's just an old schoolmate. _She tried to convince herself that she didn't care, but once again failed. Hermione shook her head, displeased with her daily ritual of obsessing over news about Malfoy.

A knock sounded on the door, Hermione stood up and calmly made her way to the door. She opened it, finding the face of a stranger, as expected.

"Hello, Ms. Granger, we need to buy some school books for Connor, here." The elderly woman motioned to the young boy next to her, he couldn't be anything over a first year, "Is your shop open?"

"Ah," Hermione looked at her watch, it was ten o'clock already, "It is now." Hermione opened the door for them, and the old woman walked past her, dragging young Connor behind her.

The woman began pulling books from the shelves, not bothering to ask Hermione for any help. Hermione busied herself with drawing the shades, turning on a few lights and dusting off the two large arm chairs by the front window. Hermione sat down at her desk at the back of the store, which had papers, books and various other parchments scattered on. The cash register was to her left with a typewriter next to that. Despite having the ability to charm things to write for her, Hermione still enjoyed the slow pace of a muggle life.

The old woman and Connor were now standing in front of her desk, with five books in the woman's hand and two in the young boys.

"Did you find everything okay?" Hermione asked, smiling politely at the two.

"Yes yes, just find. Now how much will this be?" The woman snapped, Hermione frowned at her attitude.

"14 Galleons." Hermione said flatly, the woman shoved the money into her hand and they hurried out of the store. "Thank you for your business." Hermione yelled after them as they closed the door.

Hermione grumbled to herself about how rude people were these days, and she began to go through the pile of papers on her desk. She paid the rent for the shop, read through an assignment one of her fan's had written about her (and sent to her, which Hermione didn't understand), and went through the prior day's mail.

The bell above the door rang as a slim, short figure with dark brown hair walked in. He had an owl on his arm, and the owl had a letter in it's beak. The boy nodded towards Hermione, and the owl flew to her desk, dropped the letter and retreated to the boy's arm. They left with out a word, leaving Hermione alone once again.

She looked down at the letter on her desk, it had a wax seal which held the Hogwarts symbol. She smiled, Hermione was always eager to get letters from her old school. She carefully opened the envelope, making sure she didn't break the seal. She pulled out the piece of parchment, unfolding it she caught a glimpse at the usual Hogwarts stationary.

The letter read:

_Dear Miss Granger, _

_The Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry has found itself running short on teachers for extra-curricular subjects. We have not been able to find teachers trained in witchcraft and wizardry whom are looking to be hired. So, we have felt we have no choice but to begin contacting individuals that we feel may be fit to fill the part of a teacher for this upcoming semester at Hogwarts. _

_Considering your past, we feel that you would be an excellent teacher for the students at Hogwarts. You have a bright reputation and are a exceptionally brilliant witch. We know that you would not fail to exceed our standards for the teachers at Hogwarts._

_We would be most grateful if you would fill the place for the teacher of the third year Arithmancy class. If you accept the career offer, we will provide you with a teacher's dormitory in the upper parts of the castle. You would need to be at Hogwarts one week prior to the beginning of this school year, and you may begin moving into your new dormitory beforehand. _

_The faculty at Hogwarts would be delighted to have you here, and we do hope you consider our offer._

_Signed,_

_The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Faculty Branch_

Hermione gaped at the letter. She set it down on her desk and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. She couldn't believe that she was now being offered a job at Hogwarts, completely oblivious to why they would even ask her. Hermione sighed, she would have to think this one through for awhile.

Ten Hours Later

"You know Ron, I think some time apart will be good for us. We've been bickering at each other for so long now, maybe a few months will be a decent break." Hermione sighed, the Hogwarts letter in her hand.

Ron put a hand on Hermione's knee, "Are you sure? This is kind of a big deal, you know, being apart for so long." He sighed, "I'm worried you'll miss me."

Hermione scoffed, "Get over yourself, we can send owls back and forth. I'll write you a letter every day, and I expect you'll send a response. I can send you my pay for rent as soon as possible, assuming that you'll be able to uphold your half." Hermione raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"I'll be fine. But really, are you _sure _you want to spend a whole year at Hogwarts? Aren't you worried that memories from… the past will disrupt your work?"

"It'll go swimmingly, I'm sure of it. So, I'll send my reply right now." Hermione accio'd her quill and paper. She quickly scribbled out her acceptance letter, giving it to their owl, Wendy, and sent her off.

Only two hours passed when Hermione received her response from Hogwarts. They were ecstatic about her response and were looking forward to the year to come.

That night, Hermione found herself staring at the ceiling instead of sleeping. Slumber did not come quickly, for her mind was alive with the thoughts of teaching at Hogwarts and walking the halls of her beloved school once again. But, even though she didn't want to admit it, far in the back of her mind, she was also thinking of Draco Malfoy.


	3. Chapter 1 Part 2

The Snake and The Lion

**Chapter 1**

Part 2 - Draco

More than anything, all Draco wanted to do was sit at home and devour another book. But, according to mother, he needed to boost his publicity. For some reason, the Daily Prophet had been thriving off of his very uneventful daily outings. The writers would twist and turn them in any way possible, making a normal stop to the bakery become some kind of crummy shop romance with the young girl who worked behind the counter. But, Narcissa insisted that this was good for his "public image" and by going out every so often, he was "building a good reputation".

Draco rolled his eyes as he thought of the way his mother was still controlling him as if he was still a third year. Although, his mother was running low on people to order around ever since Lucius had died the year before. She used to order him around in that 'pushy wife that's fun and playful' type of way.

Draco sighed deeply as he trudged down the sidewalk of Diagon alley. He passed several shops that were filled with customers arriving for the morning buzz. He dodged around several families consisting of several young witches and wizards, all with books in hand and robes on hangers.

"You there, Draco!" He heard someone yell. Draco refrained from turning, for he knew it was another Daily Prophet photographer, most likely trying to get a shot of him somehow looking suspicious. Draco opened the door of the nearest shop, which happened to be one of the many bookstores in the alley.

The bell over the door jingled as he stepped in. Draco looked inside quickly, the shop was almost completely empty other than the old woman and the young boy standing at the back of the store.

"Did you find everything okay?" A woman's voice said. The voice stopped him in the doorway, it rang familiarly in his ears. He knew the voice, he had heard it many times before, but he couldn't match the voice to it's owner. He stared at the backs of the two people standing at the back. The little boy swayed to the side for a fraction of a second, but it was long enough for Draco to see the seemingly stern face of Hermione Granger.

His heart skipped a beat, and he stepped backwards out of the store. He hurried down the sidewalk, hoping that no one saw him even enter the store. Draco stalked off, found an empty alleyway and apparated to his home.

"You're back early!" Said his mother, whom was sitting on the sofa holding a magazine.

Draco just grunted in response, and quickly made his way up the stairs to his bedroom. He shut the door behind him, his heart still thumping at the sight of his old rival and classmate. Draco sank down In his armchair and picked up his book. He opened it, and began to read.

Three Hours Later

Draco hadn't even realized how much time had past until he looked up from his book. Three hours had passed, although that wasn't surprising, due to the fact he had finished half of his book. He set the book he was reading down and looked out the window. The sky was cloudy, and the 2 o'clock sun was having a hard time shining through.

Draco jumped at the sound of an Owl knocking on the window behind him. He stood up, and opened it. The owl landed on his arm, dropping the letter it held in it's beak into his hand. The owl did not wait for any orders, instead it almost instantly flew from the room and out the window.

The letter was addressed to Draco, he felt the slippery texture of a wax seal on his palm. He turned it over, observing the red seal. The Hogwarts sign was stamped into it, the very thought of the school made Draco inwardly cringe at the memories. Draco slipped a finger under the seal, not caring that parts of it crumbled onto his floor.

Draco threw the envelope onto his bed as he roughly pulled the parchment from it. He opened the letter, it read:

_Dear Mister Malfoy, _

_The Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry has found itself running short on teachers for extra-curricular subjects. We have not been able to find teachers trained in witchcraft and wizardry whom are looking to be hired. So, we have felt we have no choice but to begin contacting individuals that we feel may be fit to fill the part of a teacher for this upcoming semester at Hogwarts. _

_Despite your past conflicts, we believe that your exceptional scholar reputation far surpasses the conflicts. We are truly in need of a willing participant, and we believe that you would be a decent teacher at Hogwarts._

_We would be most grateful if you would fill the place for the teacher of the third year potions class. If you accept the career offer, we will provide you with a teacher's dormitory in the upper parts of the castle. You would need to be at Hogwarts one week prior to the beginning of this school year, and you may begin moving into your new dormitory beforehand. _

_The faculty at Hogwarts would be thankful to have you here, and we do hope you consider our offer._

_Signed,_

_The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Faculty Branch_

Draco almost snorted at the letter. Hogwarts, the very school that he had betrayed was now asking him to teach students there.

"Despite your past conflicts, we believe that your exceptional scholar reputation far surpasses the conflicts." Draco read aloud. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

His mind raced, he imagined working back at the school he had plotted to destroy. He would probably get scrutinized by other teachers, he'd probably be hated by students. But also, there would be pluses. He's be making money, and despite having a large amount of galleons already, adding a bit to the family fund wouldn't hurt. Plus, he'd get to live his own life away from his mother. Draco felt a pang in his chest, a pang he didn't recognize. It wasn't pain, it wasn't anger, maybe it was… joy? Draco frowned, was he really going to consider becoming a teacher at that wretched school just to stay away from his mum?

Yeah, he was.

7 Hours Later

After a long conversation with his mother, Draco finally came to the conclusion that he would work at Hogwarts. He carefully wrote out his acceptance letter, making sure it looked neat, wasn't too friendly, but wasn't too mean. He gave the letter to the family owl, and it flew off.

It didn't take long for their response, but he was already in bed when the owl came knocking at his window. He took the letter, sent the owl off, read the letter, then went to bed.

Draco fell asleep quickly, but awoke mid-night when he realized he had been dreaming about Hermione Granger, the now stern woman who owned the bookshop in Diagon Alley.


End file.
